Essex · London and the South East
Pre-Purchase Roof Survey in Frating
A roof survey before you buy a house or flat in Frating, using drones and thermal imaging where applicable. Get in touch for a price.
- Blistered or split felt on a flat roof
- Cracked flaunching or crumbling chimney pointing
- Patch repairs that may hide an ongoing problem
Pre-purchase roof survey in Frating
If you’re buying a flat, the roof may well be shared. The lease decides who looks after the roof, and that’s frequently not the individual flat owner. We inspect what access allows us to see safely, and the report helps you ask your solicitor or the managing agent the right questions. Where the building has a flat roof, it’s checked as far as access allows. If you’re worried about roof slopes that look uneven or sagging and gutters that overflow or drip at the joints, we can find out what’s behind it.
For a small place like Frating, the visit is planned like any other: the journey, parking and access are simply agreed beforehand. Mention any outbuildings, barns or garages with roofs you’d like looked at when booking. Whether you’re buying or checking new work, the same care goes into it. Weekday and weekend visits are both available.
Report times depend on the survey you book: the Basic Survey within 48 hours, the Standard Survey in 24 to 48 hours and the Premium Survey on the same day.
- Place
- Frating (CO7)
- Wider area
- Essex
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Your report
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Appointments
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Insured
- Professional indemnity and public liability
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Page updated
- 27 October 2026
Buying a home or a new roof in Frating
Frating is within about 3 miles of the coast, and wind near the sea can be strong. The weather on the day decides whether a flight goes ahead, as a small drone can’t fly safely in strong wind or heavy rain. Before planning roof work on an older home, find out whether it is listed or in a conservation area. Changes that affect a listed building’s special interest need listed building consent, and councils can also use Article 4 directions to control changes in conservation areas.
If you let a flat or house near Alresford station, a roof report gives you a clear picture before you buy or settle up with a roofer. If you live in an older home near Saint Andrew's Church, ask the seller about past roof repairs, because older roofs often have patched valleys, replaced slates and reset ridges.
Frating is about 3 miles east of Wivenhoe, in Essex. We carry out pre-purchase roof surveys in Frating for houses, flats, blocks and commercial buildings, with a written report and photographs every time. Across Essex, we cover Frating and the places around it. Our Chelmsford page covers surveys nearby.
We cover every part of CO7 for pre-purchase roof surveys. Whether your property is on Church Road and Rectory Road or anywhere close by, we can help. Close by, we survey roofs in Frating Green (1 mile north-east), Balls Green (1 mile north-east), Thorrington (1 mile south-east), Hare Green (2 miles north-east) and Great Bentley (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Colchester (6 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (7 miles south-east), Harwich (11 miles north-east), Camulodunum (7 miles west), Greenstead (4 miles north-west) and Tiptree (12 miles west).
Landmarks near Frating
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Kings Arms and the streets around them. The closest station to Frating is Alresford station, roughly 1.2 miles south-west. Other landmarks nearby include Wivenhoe Chapel Museum (2.4 miles west) and Essex County Hospital (6 miles west). Not far away are Cockaynes Wood.
Other services in Frating
Landlords, agents and block managers in Frating
We also survey roofs for businesses and commercial landlords. Larger roofs take longer.
Any of our surveys can be booked by landlords, agents and building managers in Frating. To discuss a property or a block, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form.
Should I look at the roof myself first?
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Take a torch and only step on boards or joists, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
What affects the price in Frating
What a survey costs depends on the time and equipment it needs. The main factors are:
- Extensions, dormers and garages with roofs of their own
- How big the roof is
- Which survey package you book
- If the survey needs thermal imaging or a drone
A small, low roof with good viewpoints takes less time than a tall, complicated one, and the package matters as well. The price is always agreed first.
What we need to know
Getting the details right at the start saves time. Please include:
- Dates you are working to, such as exchange
- Whether there’s a loft hatch, a shared roof or tricky access
- The property’s address and postcode
- Where water is showing inside, if it is
To get a price for pre-purchase roof surveys in Frating, ring 07833 053749 or send us an email. Some details about the property and the roof help us give you an accurate price.
Before and after the survey
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Give your solicitor a copy of the report
- Ask the seller about past roof repairs
- Ask who repairs the roof under the lease
- Watch for stains or fresh paint on ceilings below the roof
The report gives any roofer you ask to quote a clear brief. The photos show the defects and where they are, which makes quotes easier to compare.
Keep an eye on chimneys and flashings in your new home. Watch for gaps in the pointing, cracked flaunching and loose lead. Binoculars from the ground are enough for a first look.
Frating questions
How do I find out if my home in Frating is listed?
Your council is the best source, with Historic England’s list for listed buildings. Both listing and conservation areas can limit changes of roofing material, and councils can also use Article 4 directions.
Does being near the coast affect roofs in Frating?
Frequently, yes. Frating is within about 3 miles of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Should I get a roof survey as well as a RICS home survey?
They do different things. A home survey looks at the whole property, and ours concentrates on the roof alone. Our survey complements a RICS survey and does not replace one.
Is your roof survey a RICS survey?
No. It is a roof survey by an experienced roof surveyor, and you get a written report with photos. It doesn’t cover the rest of the property, which a RICS survey does.
I live in a flat. Can you survey the roof?
Yes. Shared roofs just need a little more planning, with the building owner or managing agent. Tell us about it when booking and we will plan the survey around it.
How soon is the report ready?
It depends on the package: within 48 hours for Basic, 24 to 48 hours for Standard and the same day for Premium. Let us know your timetable when you book.
Do I need to be at home?
That depends on the survey. For inside areas and the roof space, someone has to give us access, while outside access can be discussed when you book.
What we do, step by step
A survey visit follows a simple order: we listen to what’s been worrying you, inspect the roof from every safe viewpoint, take photos as we go and make notes for the report. Most visits take an hour or two at a typical house, with time for the loft where it can be reached. Older roofs in small places like Frating can have low, tight loft spaces, so it helps to know whether there is a loft hatch and how easy it is to reach. Only areas that can be reached safely are inspected.
- After your offer is agreed, you book and share your timetable.
- Access to the house and the loft space is agreed in advance.
- The visit begins outside, from ground level and any safe vantage points.
- We then look from upstairs windows and inside the loft where it’s safe.
- The report is emailed with photos and recommendations, ready to use before exchange.
Before we arrive
- For a flat or shared roof, check access with whoever owns or manages the building
- Leave a clear route to the loft
- Show us where any leaks or stains appear
Getting a price
Getting a price is simple: just call 07833 053749 or use the contact form and give us a few details about the property and we’ll explain which survey suits. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Related advice
Leave it or get it looked at?
Without a survey, you’re relying on a glance from the pavement. That rarely shows the back slope, the valleys or the top of the chimney. A survey fills that gap before you commit. Outbuildings and barns around Frating are easy to forget, but a failed roof there can spoil what’s stored inside. It’s worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.
Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both including VAT. We confirm the price for your survey before you book.
Why book us in Frating
- 5,000+ surveys completed
- Insured for professional indemnity and public liability
- Every finding written up with photos
- 98% customer satisfaction
Read how roof surveys are priced and two real surveys.